EP!C Sustainable Living Expo.

One of the highlights from this year’s expo was the development of sustainabilitytelevision.com. It’s a website for environmentally conscious citizens to meet, share, and exchange ideas towards a greener lifestyle and upload user generated videos on all aspects of sustainability. I thought this was a novel idea, and something I think is necessary to push us towards a greener future. And why not start right here in Vancouver, a city trying to reach the status of being the greenest city in the world and aspires to lead by example for other cities to model after?

Toyota Motor Corp. was showing off its new line of hybrid vehicles and were allowing visitors to the expo to test drive them and compete in achieving the greatest fuel efficiency with their driving habits. Something like hyper-milage, I suppose.

Another notable highlight from the expo was from White Bear Wines, a winery from the Okanagan, using this opportunity to launch its label which aims at conserving BC’s coastal rainforest by partnering with NGOs such as WWF Canada and Tides Canada. A percentage of the sales of White Bear Wines goes towards programs supporting the marine and rainforest conservation, and by extension, help the spirit bears flourish in Beautiful British Columbia. Tastings were offered at the bar and I spent the good half of my time there with their Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. As much as one can appreciate wine in a plastic cup, I found them both to be crisp and smooth as their marketing platform.

On the main stage speaker event, a representative of White Bear Wines extolled the virtues of drip watering over the traditional water sprinkler system commonly seen in vineyards. Although the initial cost of installing a drip watering system was far more costly with laying out a grid like pattern on fertile land, the cost-savings of using less water and the even distribution of it made it a viable alternative, he said. I wonder how quickly a vineyard can recover the initial investment in a drip system.

Several bikes from Specialized were also on display right along with a display of electric vehicles from the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. I can’t wait to see charging stations taking over existing petrol stations all over the city.

One thing that was missing from this show that I would have loved to see were local or international manufacturers of fine furniture sourced from sustainable resources and made with sustainable practices. Perhaps they were at the Interior Design Home Show earlier this year to which I missed.